


by the tail

by stimhack



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cat/Human Hybrids, Catboy!Keith, Catboy!Lance, Fluff, M/M, Shiro Uses Closed Captioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 10:44:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8202598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stimhack/pseuds/stimhack
Summary: Shiro's tired of living alone. One morning, on his way to join the rat race, he comes across a flyer for a catboy shelter. Could adoption be the answer to his problems? He takes his chances on an attention-hungry ball of energy named Lance, but as hard as Shiro tries, he can't keep the catboy happy. Then the phone rings."The stray? Oh, his name's Keith."





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was supposed to update my camboy fic but my finger slipped and a catboy fic happened. just one letter can ruin everything. jsyk, shiro doesn't get it on with any catboys here but he may pop a boner. who knows. just picture him frowning over a mug of black coffee the whole time

_Seeking permanent, loving homes for the catboys in our shelter!_

Shiro stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to get a better look at the flyer. It was printed in black and white and taped neatly on top of a mess of other ads crowding the lamppost, but its simplicity made it stand out.

_Each year, hundreds of stray hybrids are turned away from shelters all over the city due to overcrowding. We're making it our mission to change that. Be part of the solution and adopt a catboy from our shelter today!_

Little strips cut perfectly into the bottom of the flyer gave the contact information to a shelter across town. Shiro tore one off and tucked it into his wallet, continuing on his way to the office. He wasn't sure what made him stop in the first place, but by the end of the work day, Shiro would know the phone number and address on the piece of paper by heart.

 

 

A bell jingled over the door as Shiro walked inside the lobby to the shelter. He pushed the door closed gently behind him and glanced around as he pulled his gloves off, wondering if he had come in past closing. The overhead lights were dim and the front desk was left unattended, piled high with binders and stacks of freshly printed flyers. Shiro crossed the small room and leaned against the desk, trying to peek through the open door leading back to the kennels.

A head of mousy brain hair popped up from behind the desk and Shiro jumped.

"Oh! Hi, are you here to adopt?"

Shiro stepped back and adjusted his tie. "I suppose so. Sorry, I didn't think anyone was here."

"Yeah, I've been down here all day trying to get the printer back on. 'PC Load Letter,' what the hell does that mean? I've got flyers to print!"

"Ah, tough luck. Um," Shiro glanced down at their nametag, "Pidge, is it?"

"Yes! That's me. Okay. Adoption. You ever been here before?"

"No, first time."

"Okay. We're gonna have to start a new file, then." Pidge pulled a thick binder down from the top of a stack and set it down in front of Shiro, pushing a ballpoint pen in his hand. "The first tabbed section is important, make sure you read the whole thing. After that, it's just a lot of legal stuff, so sign any line that's highlighted. I can take your ID now and make photocopies while you do that."

"Jesus, is this really necessary?" Shiro pulled out his wallet and shuffled through it for his ID. "I thought I'd just sign a few forms and write a check."

Pidge snatched the ID out of his hand and shot him a dirty look before disappearing under the desk again. "Yeah, gee, you're right. It's almost like we're trusting you to take care of a living, breathing thing."

Shiro frowned and sat down on a threadbare chair to start working through the heavy binder. Maybe he wasn't ready for this responsibility yet. Sure, he was lonely and growing tired of coming home to an empty house every night, but these weren't normal pets. He blushed through a section about reproductive health services available to new owners.

Pidge reappeared from behind the counter and tossed Shiro's ID at him, hitting him in the chest. "You're in our system now. Any questions about the forms?"

"Only about a hundred," Shiro muttered.

"It's okay. First time owners are always nervous. Do you live alone?"

"Yeah, other side of town. I work at an accounting firm on 8th."

"Oh, a CPA? Never would've guessed. You seem like such a free spirit."

Shiro arched an eyebrow at her. He went back to work on the binder, flipping through and signing and dating until his hand was sore. By the time he was done, Pidge had already locked the front door for the night. He stood up and let his joints pop, handing the binder over to an eager Pidge.

"Great! Awesome. You're really helping us out. It's always hard when the temperatures start to drop, it breaks my heart to see strays out in the cold."

Pidge waved Shiro back behind the desk and he followed her back into the kennels. The ceilings were twice as high here and both sides of the room were lined with chainlink cages, all with at least one catboy sleeping inside. Shiro felt embarrassed when he noticed that some of them were only partially dressed.

"So, these are our catboys," Pidge whispered, leading Shiro down the aisle. "They're all up for adoption, and they've all been vaccinated, unless you see them wearing an orange gown. Those ones are fresh off the street. Take your time, and if you see one you like, let Hunk know in the back. He'll collar them for you."

Shiro nodded and stepped aside as Pidge went back up front, leaving him alone in the kennels. At least they're all sleeping, he thought, pausing now and then to read the laminated profiles on the front of each cage. He didn't know what to look for. He just wanted someone quiet and easy to care for.

He had to hold in a shout when he got to the end of the row and found a catboy standing upright in his cage, hanging onto the chainlink barrier and looking right at Shiro. He was tall and lean, with bare caramel legs running up into an oversized soccer jersey. Shiro tried giving him a small smile and the catboy smiled back, his grin wide and blinding. His yellow information card told Shiro his name: Lance.

"Hi, Lance."

Lance purred and butted his head against the fence. Shiro scratched his head gently through the gaps and Lance pushed out harder, his tail flipping up and lashing around wildly.

"Lonely, huh?" Shiro read the rest of Lance's card while the catboy nuzzled his hand through the fence. He had been at the shelter for two months already, accidentally separated from his family when their owners moved out of state. In his 'likes and dislikes' section, someone had written that he 'loves pizza and LOTS of attention!!' in bold marker. Shiro wondered if Pidge had written all of these herself.

"Man, you messed up. He's never gonna leave you alone now."

A hulking man came in through the backdoor wearing a vest and thick work gloves, chuckling as Lance tried to fish his tail through the cage.

"Is he always this affectionate?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah, he's a showoff. As soon as he hears a door open, he's up against the cage, trying to get noticed."

Lance pulled his head away from the fence and looked up at Shiro with wet eyes, his brown tail beating softly against the fence. The thought of leaving him alone now was too much. Lance deserved a good home.

"I don't know how this works, but can I take him? I filled out the paperwork with Pidge up front."

"Sure thing! He's gonna love you. Let me just grab a collar."

Hunk left to rifle through a wooden cabinet and came back with a plain leather collar, embellished on the front with blue paw prints. Lance saw the collar and flipped. He shook the cage frantically, rattling the fence loudly and waking the other catboys from their slumber.

"Easy, Lance, calm down." Hunk handed the collar to Shiro and unlocked the cage, opening it just far enough for both of them to step inside.

Lance fell back onto his knees and stretched his neck up towards Shiro, his tail moving in a flurry across the concrete floor. Hunk held Lance steady while Shiro knelt down and snapped the collar onto his neck, running a finger under it to make sure it wasn't too tight. He patted the top of Lance's head and ruffled his hair.

"Ready to go home?"

Lance didn't even let Shiro finish his sentence before he sprang forward, headbutting the man's neck and sniffing him excitedly. Shiro wrestled the catboy off of him with a laugh and stood up, brushing his pants clean. Hunk took Lance's collar and led him to the wall, taking the end of his tail and lifting it carefully.

"Just one more thing and you guys are good to go. You know about milking?"

Shiro's face went hot. "Uh. Milking catboys?"

"Yeah. You gotta do it regularly or they'll get frustrated and run away on you. It's not as weird as it sounds. Here, hold his tail?"

Hunk handed Lance's tail to Shiro and he held onto it loosely. Lance pulled it out of his hands and let it hit the ground with a thwap, turning and grinning at Shiro over his shoulder. Hunk took his gloves off and replaced them with plastic sanitary gloves, arching an eyebrow at Shiro.

"Don't let him misbehave on you already."

Shiro nodded and reached for his tail again, but Lance swished it away from him, making Shiro chase it across the floor. He finally got a grip on it and held it up. Lance huffed and turned back to the wall.

"Okay, so make sure you have something to milk him into. If it gets on your carpet, it's gonna reek like catboy for a week. You need to rinse it down the drain as soon as he's empty." Hunk slid a faded Big Gulp cup under Lance and lifted his jersey up, exposing him completely. "If he's ready to be milked, he's probably already slick in here, so just slide a finger in, down like this..."

Shiro went pink all over when Hunk pushed a thick middle finger into Lance's hole, forcing a low mewl out of him. He spread his knees wide until his cock was almost touching the cup on the floor, and his ears went flat against his head. Hunk didn't blink as he guided Lance down further into the cup, moving his gloved finger around inside Lance's ass.

"You're looking for a little spot in here, kind of like a prostate. As soon as you find it, just press down and-"

"Mreeeeeow!" Lance shook and started spilling into the cup, arching his back and clawing his hands against the wall. Hunk pulled straight down on Lance's dick until he was finished, slumping forward and pushing Hunk's finger back out.

"And that's basically it. When they start to get really clingy and weird, just milk them and they'll calm down again. Otherwise they'll run off to find a mate." He picked up the cup and grimaced. "I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty nasty."

He left the cage to empty the cup and wash his hands. Shiro put his hands in his pockets, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Lance rolled over onto his back, looking happy and sated. Shiro hoped he wouldn't have to milk him too often. He leaned over and pulled Lance's jersey down again, covering him up. Lance purred and wiggled around on his back.

Shiro led Lance to the front desk, holding his leash tightly as the catboy tried to dash ahead of him. Pidge looked up and clapped her hands happily. "You picked Lance! Oh, I'm so happy. He's wanted a home so badly."

"I can tell," Shiro said, giving the leash a little tug when Lance started meowing at the door.

"We just need a check to cover his adoption fees, shots, all that good stuff. Are you ready to pay now?"

"Sure, I have my checkbook right here. Uh." Shiro patted his coat pockets. "I had my checkbook."

Pidge snorted and pointed behind Shiro. Lance was curled up on a chair, flipping through Shiro's wallet and holding his checkbook between his teeth. Shiro grabbed his checkbook back and let Lance continue playing with his wallet.

"I've got a little thief on my hands." Shiro made a check out to the shelter and slid it across the counter. "Thanks for doing this, I know it's late."

"Ah, don't mention it. Anything for Lance here." Pidge came around the desk to hug Lance goodbye, and he made a sad trilling noise when she let go of him. "I'll give you my number in case you have any questions. Are you parked nearby?"

"Yeah, right out front. Come on, Lance." Shiro pet the back of his head as Lance got up and clung to Shiro's arm. Pidge opened the door and a rush of cold air blew in, making Lance shiver.

"Quick, get the car warmed up, he doesn't like being cold. Make sure to keep in touch!" Pidge waved and closed the door after them. Lance looked back and whined quietly, his ears drooping when the lights in the lobby went out.

"It's okay, buddy, come on." Shiro unlocked the doors to his black Subaru and let go of the leash as Lance scrambled inside, curling up on the seat and looking around the car in wonderment. Shiro jogged around the front of the car and got in the driver's seat, starting the engine and pulling Lance's jersey down to cover more of his legs. "We need to get you some pants."

Lance fought with his seatbelt as Shiro backed out of the parking space, driving out into the night towards his apartment. He had to pull over twice to keep Lance from crawling out of his seat and exploring the car, but Shiro was happy. He couldn't wait to see Lance's face when he opened the front door and showed him his new home.

 

 

It wasn't quite the Hallmark moment that Shiro had pictured. As soon as Shiro had unlocked the door to his apartment, Lance had torn inside and dashed around, stumbling around in the dark and inspecting all the furniture excitedly.

Shiro dropped his keys on a table next to the front door, along with a packet from the shelter that gave clear instructions on how to care for his catboy. "Are you sure you're not part dog?"

Lance stopped moving. He slunk silently in the dark towards Shiro as the man leaned down to flick a lamp on, pouncing on him as soon as the room lit up.

"Lance, down! Bad."

"Mow."

Shiro shook his head tiredly and dropped down on the couch. Lance climbed up next to him, pushing his head into his lap to be petted. He purred deeply when Shiro smoothed his ears down and scratched the back of his neck. Shiro was still in his officewear, suddenly very glad for the fact that catboys didn't shed.

Suddenly, Lance pushed up hard from Shiro's lap, digging his nails into the man's thighs as he jumped off the couch.

"Ow! Jesus, stop that," Shiro hissed, getting up to follow Lance. He had dashed into the apartment's only bedroom and was already pawing through the dresser's bottom drawer when Shiro walked in. Lance pulled a pair of jeans out onto the carpet and rubbed the denim appraisingly.

Shiro pushed the drawer closed gently and dug around in the closet for a clear garbage bag filled with clothes.

"Here, buddy. My old college clothes. They'll fit you better." He pulled out a pair of soft flannel pants and tossed them to Lance, who clawed them out of the air like they were playing a game. Shiro went through the bag until he found a few workable outfits for Lance and left the room so he could get dressed in private.

A few minutes later, Shiro knocked gently on the bedroom door and peeked inside. Lance had taken his jersey off, which was a step backwards, but he had managed to tear a hole in the back of the flannel pants so he could wear them comfortably around his tail. He preened when he saw Shiro and rolled onto the pile of gifted clothes, closing his eyes and hugging a sweater against his chest.

Shiro let him nap on the floor while he pulled out extra blankets and pillows to make a bed for the catboy. He arranged them carefully on the floor next to his bed, layering the blankets until he thought they were cushiony enough to sleep on. Shiro woke Lance gently and pointed at the makeshift bed.

"Ready for bed?"

Lance nodded sleepily. He started to crawl over to the catboy bed Shiro had made, but at the last second, pushed up off the ground and climbed in Shiro's queen size bed.

"No, Lance, you can't-"

Lance cut him off with a short hiss and started kneading his hands into the blankets, purring loudly.

"Okay. Just for tonight."

Lance burrowed under the blankets until he was completely submerged, a catboy-sized lump in the center of the bed. Shiro watched with amusement as the blankets shifted and Lance's tail popped out, swishing slowly on a pillow.

Shiro turned the lights off and got undressed, leaving his boxers and undershirt on for Lance's sake. He laid down under the blankets and tried to avoid touching Lance, but the catboy quickly crawled over to curl up next to him. Shiro folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, trying not to think about the half-naked body pressed against his side.

 

 

The next few days went by in a blur. Shiro had to work long shifts at the office, but all of his free time was spent trying to help Lance adjust to his new life. He even gave up his lunch breaks to make sure the catboy was comfortable in his apartment. On one such occasion he opened his front door to find a trail of shredded toilet paper leading from the bathroom to his bed, where Lance was crouching innocently.

"Lance, did you do this?"

"Mow!"

"Then who did?"

"Mrreow."

By the end of the work week, Shiro was thoroughly exhausted. He was actually glad not to have any plans this weekend. He would get to spend more time with Lance, who was clearly hurting from all the time spent alone. When he came home from work on Friday without being mauled at the door, he started getting concerned.

Shiro pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his collar, turning the television on and calling Lance's name. When he didn't come running, Shiro got up to look for him.

He found Lance in the bathtub, laying on his side. His face was flushed and he looked overly warm. "Lance, what's wrong? Do you feel sick?" Shiro felt his forehead with the back of his hand and Lance whined pathetically, chasing Shiro's touch. "Come on, you can't hide in here."

Shiro lifted Lance out of the tub with ease and carried him into the living room, setting him down on the couch on all fours. Lance instantly dropped his head down and arched his back, sliding his knees apart. He looked like he did when Hunk had... oh.

"Do you... need to be milked?"

Lance pushed his butt up higher and huffed. That was a yes, Shiro figured. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He was kind of hoping that Lance would magically overcome the need to be milked so they wouldn't have to do this.

Shiro went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards, pulling out a glass tumbler. He didn't have any gloves, so he made a note to himself to scrub with lava soap when he was finished. When Shiro made it back into the living room, Lance already had his pants down.

"Okay. We can do this. This is completely normal." Shiro sat behind Lance and rubbed his back gently, trying not to make eye contact with the genitals on display in front of him. "Alright. I'm gonna do it."

Lance squirmed with his face pushed into the couch cushions as Shiro stalled. It had looked so easy when Hunk did it. Maybe he could call and ask for someone from the shelter to do it.

"Mrrow!"

"Okay, okay, I'm doing it. Here we go."

Shiro took a deep breath and lifted Lance's tail, looking up at his hole. It looked tender and slick. Without giving himself another chance to hesitate, Shiro slid his middle finger inside, turning it downwards and feeling around the walls of Lance's asshole. For a minute, his search was fruitless. Lance fidgeted and flicked his tail around rapidly, but he wasn't reacting like he had at the shelter.

"I'm sorry, buddy, I'm trying. Am I close?"

Lance looked over his shoulder and gave Shiro an incredulous look.

"Guess not. I'm going to try using a different finger, okay?"

Shiro started to slide his finger back out, and right as he did, Lance's body locked up. He howled and his dick started spilling onto the couch. Shiro hadn't been prepared. He grabbed the glass and held it under Lance, but by the time it was over, only a couple drops had made it inside. The rest was all over the couch and Shiro's hand.

Lance's tail slowly dropped back down as he snuggled into the cushions and started to doze. Shiro patted the catboy's leg awkwardly, happy to have relieved him of his pain, but thoroughly grossed out by the mess now soaking into the sofa. He stood up and went straight for the phone, dialing Pidge's number.

"Pidge here."

"Hey, it's Shiro, from the shelter. I took Lance home earlier this week?"

"Oh! Lance! How's my favorite hybrid?"

"He's good. Now, at least. I had to, uh. Milk him for the first time."

"Ohh. Ha, oh man. Sorry, I know it's not funny, it's just. Did it get everywhere?"

"Yeah, actually, that's why I called. It's drying on my couch as we speak."

"You poor thing. Okay. Here's what you do."

An hour later, Shiro had finally got the last of the catboy stench out of his couch cushions. He propped them up against the balcony railing to dry and went back inside to find Lance. He was perched on the kitchen counter, staring with wide eyes at a takeout menu.

Shiro chuckled and pulled the menu from under Lance's nails. "You looked close to death an hour ago and now you want pizza." He unfolded the menu and laid it out on the counter. "What do you want on yours? Pepperoni?"

Lance nodded once. "Mow."

Shiro pointed to the next topping. "Sausage?"

"Mow."

"Mushrooms?"

"Mow."

"Are you just going to say yes to every topping?"

"Mow."

Shiro sighed and folded the menu back up. "Okay, the works." Lance's tail flicked happily behind him as he slid off the counter and trotted into the living room, curling up in front of the television. He liked watching sports games and tracking the path of the ball on the screen.

After they polished off a large pizza together, Shiro turned the lights off and patted his mattress, waiting for Lance to climb in first. He abandoned the blanket nest idea after Lance's second night in the house, when he got a long scratch on his forearm for trying to force the catboy off of the bed. It was easier to fall asleep with a warm body next to him anyway.

"G'night, bud. We can sleep in tomorrow, no work for a couple days."

Lance's ears perked up and he nuzzled his face into Shiro's undershirt affectionately. Shiro pet him until he dozed off, his mouth open and breathing softly against the man's stomach.

 

 

After that, the milkings got easier. Lance stopped hiding from Shiro and instead searched him out, presenting himself when he needed relief. Shiro learned from his mistakes the first time around. He started setting Lance up on the coffee table over a wide bowl, giving Shiro a free hand to help Lance aim when he was ready. It still made Shiro's stomach turn, but at least his upholstery was intact. Sometimes Lance even channel surfed while Shiro moved his finger around inside of him.

Shiro was getting better at taking care of Lance, but as time went on, he noticed the catboy's energy start to wane. He thrived on the weekends, but on mornings when Shiro had to leave for work, Lance was inconsolable. He pawed at the door long after Shiro had left and missed him terribly until he came home again.

Lance needed more attention than Shiro could give, that much was certain. Shiro didn't know how to help him, though. He couldn't work from home, and his attempts to have friends housesit the catboy had ended in disaster. He needed help.

"Hello hello."

"Pidge, hey. You got a minute?"

"For you? It depends. What's up? Is it Lance?"

"Yeah. He's been really down lately. I know he misses me when I'm at work, but I've done all I can do. I can't keep up with his needs."

"Hmm. How does he respond to other catboys?"

"Other catboys?"

"Yeah, you know, at the park or whatever? You do take him out to play with other catboys, right?"

Shiro blushed. He hadn't even thought of that. Lance had been so clingy with him, it had never even occurred to Shiro to take him out of the apartment.

"No, I haven't yet. I didn't know that was something he wanted."

"Even if he acts like he doesn't want to, it's important, Shiro. He needs to socialize with other catboys. If he doesn't, he won't know how to function without you."

"Yeah, that makes sense. I feel like an idiot."

"Don't, you're learning. Actually, it's funny you called. I was going to call you tonight to ask about a stray."

Shiro's brow furrowed. "A stray? What do you mean?"

"Well, when you adopt from us, we keep your contact information so we can reach out to people when the kennels fill up. We have a stray who's been here for almost a year now. If we can't find a home for him soon, we'll have to transfer him to... I don't wanna say."

"Yeah, please don't. And you were going to ask me to take him?"

"You were next on my call list. We ask everyone, so don't feel pressured to say yes. I just thought it was weird that you called about Lance being lonely, and now. You know."

"Right." Shiro swallowed. One catboy was hard enough to fit into his life. His apartment wasn't made for three, and he had no idea if Lance would get along with another catboy. "What's he like?"

"The stray? He's, uh. Kinda standoffish. He's really pretty, though, and quiet, if you leave him alone. It's been hard for him to find a home because he talks."

Shiro's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know they could talk."

"It's very rare. Most of them don't, but some catboys are raised by humans from birth, and they can learn our mannerisms. He doesn't crawl, either. But he's still a catboy. And he still deserves a home," Pidge added quickly.

"Yeah. Wow. He sounds, uh, special."

"He is! Do you want to come meet him? You don't have to make a decision yet, but if you guys click, it could literally save his life."

"Okay, I'll come down. Let me go check on Lance and I'll be on my way." Shiro pulled the phone away from his ear as Pidge shouted happily. He smiled and grabbed his car keys. "What's his name, by the way?"

"The stray? Oh, his name's Keith."

 

 

Shiro and Keith definitely did not "click." As soon as Pidge led him to Keith's cage, the catboy looked him up and down and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going home with you."

Shiro winced, trying to hide his surprise at Keith's fluency. "Well, that was fast."

"Keith, this is Shiro. He adopted a stray earlier this year, remember Lance?"

Keith's tail flicked up. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do. You requested a cage change because he wouldn't stop nuzzling you."

"Yeah, he was annoying. I like my space." Keith folded his arms across his chest and turned his back to them. "Well? You can go now."

Shiro huffed and put his hands on his hips. Keith was a handful. Aside from his jet black tail and ears, he looked just like a regular human, dressed in tight jeans and a worn-out Rolling Stones t-shirt. Shiro wondered if Lance would remember Keith, too.

Pidge shook her head and started trudging back out to the lobby. "I'm sorry, I thought it might work out. Thanks for coming anyway." She left Shiro alone in front of Keith's cage. The catboy's ears drooped and he scuffed his sneaker against the concrete floor. He turned around slowly and jumped when he saw Shiro.

"Shit, what are you still doing here?"

Shiro shrugged. "I don't know. I figured you'd at least tell me why you won't come home with me, first."

"Because I know you. Guys like you make me sick. What, Lance isn't keeping you happy enough?"

"What are you talking about?" Shiro asked, stepping closer.

"I'm not going to fuck you, that's what I'm talking about."

"Jesus, Keith, that's not what I'm here for."

"Why'd you take Lance home, then?"

"Because I was lonely. I saw an ad for the shelter and thought, I don't know, would be nice to have someone else around the house. Someone to look after."

"And your dick had no part in that decision at all."

"No, it didn't. Are you done psychoanalyzing me?"

Keith's tail wrapped around his leg defensively. "I just don't like guys taking advantage of us. I thought you might be hurting Lance."

"I'd never hurt Lance, I really care about him. And he loves living with me. Do you remember much about him?"

"Not really. He's an attention whore, I know that."

"Hey, watch it. He's just really loving. That's why I picked him."

"Then why are you talking to me? I'm an asshole."

"Because you're different. And you deserve a home, too. Lance has been depressed lately, he needs a friend."

Keith walked up to the front of the cage. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's just lonely, like I was. I still get human interaction at work, but he's stuck at home all day without me. I think he needs someone else around, someone like him."

Keith held onto the chainlink barrier, his ears tilted forward towards Shiro. "Is it that bad?"

Shiro nodded, sensing Keith's mood shift. "I think so. I'm not trying to hurt him, but whenever I leave for work, he cries at the door."

"He shouldn't be alone that long," Keith said, gripping the fence tighter. "You shouldn't leave him."

"I don't have a choice right now. That's why I'm here, he needs someone."

"He needs me." Keith let go of the fence and looked hard at Shiro. "I'll go with you. Go get Hunk. Tell him I want the collar with the red studs."

"What, just like that?"

Keith licked his lips and leaned against the back wall of the cage. "Yeah. I've been in here too long anyway."

 

 

Shiro had to fill out a short stack of paperwork before leaving with Keith, cutting another check as Keith snapped his own collar around his neck. They left in tense silence and Shiro realized he was going to have to initiate the conversation.

"You really are quiet."

"I'll talk when I feel like it."

"No, I didn't mean it as a bad thing," Shiro said, pulling out into the flow of traffic. "It'll actually be nice. Sometimes Lance drives me a little nuts."

Keith gave up a small smile for that. "I know what you mean. I wonder if he even remembers me."

"Hm. We'll have to just see how it goes. I didn't even tell him where I was going."

"Is he territorial with you?"

"How do you mean?"

"Like, does he get pissed if you ignore him for someone else? Or play with other catboys?"

Shiro adjusted his grip on the wheel. "I don't know. I don't get out much. I've tried having friends over at the apartment, but never other catboys."

"Oh." Keith looked out of the window and frowned. "He's probably gonna hate me."

"Hey, we'll work it out. Just give him a chance."

 

 

Keith hid behind Shiro with his tail between his legs when they opened the door to his apartment.

"Mrreow!"

Lance bounded over towards the door and stopped a couple feet away, sniffing the air. His ears folded down flat against his head.

"Lance, it's okay, I brought someone for you to meet. Do you remember Keith?"

Keith peeked over Shiro's shoulder and Lance hissed, dashing back into the bedroom and slamming the door shut.

Shiro sighed. "That could've gone better."

"I'm sorry, this was all a big mistake, you should just take me back."

"To the shelter? Keith, no, you live here now."

Keith's eyes teared up as he stood on the threshold of the apartment. "I can't. Lance hates me. I don't belong anywhere."

Shiro tried to pull Keith inside by the arm, but the catboy swatted him away. The man sighed helplessly. "Keith, do you want to live here?"

Keith looked down at his shoes and nodded.

"Then come inside, this is your home. Lance is going to have to get used to it. I've spoiled him, he's not used to sharing."

Keith looked up sheepishly and glanced around the apartment. He stepped inside, letting Shiro close and lock the door behind him.

"Are you hungry?"

Keith put a hand over his stomach. "A little. The shelter's running out of the good stuff."

"What's the 'good stuff?'" Shiro asked, leading Keith into the kitchen.

"You know, pasta, cheeseburgers. If I see another fish stick again I'm gonna vomit."

Shiro closed the freezer door quickly. Lance loved fish sticks, and the evidence filled up half of the freezer. "Okay. You like pizza?"

Keith's ears twitched upwards. "Pizza's good."

"Lance likes it too." Shiro smiled and pulled a drawer open. "Look out, here he comes."

As soon as Lance heard the drawer open, he had peeked around the corner into the kitchen, his tail thumping against the floor wildly.

"Lance, Keith and I are ordering pizza. Do you want one too?"

"...Mow."

"Come out here, then. Tell me what you want."

"Mrroh."

Keith pulled on his collar. "I should leave you guys alone."

"No. Lance, come out here or you're not getting pizza." Shiro slammed the drawer and Lance flinched. He started to move slowly into the kitchen, keeping his eyes locked firmly on Keith.

Shiro opened the drawer again and pulled out a menu to their regular pizza place. Lance hopped up onto the counter and shot Keith one last look before nudging Shiro with his head.

"There you go. Now, what do you want? Pepperoni?"

"Mow."

"He likes everything," Keith mumbled. Lance looked over at him and flicked his tail up. Shiro thought he was going to pounce, but then Lance pawed at the menu, smacking it down onto the floor.

"Mrrow."

Keith smiled up at him. "Thanks." He picked up the menu and scanned it quickly, putting it back on the counter in front of Lance. "I like it plain. Extra cheese."

Shiro hummed in agreement and pulled out his phone, walking out onto the balcony to place their order. Lance slid down from the counter, avoiding Keith's eyes. Keith took a step back and gave him space, unsure of what to say.

"You look... better."

Lance rolled his eyes, dropping down onto all fours and stretching. He crawled back towards the bedroom, waving his ass at Keith as he went.

The balcony door slid open and Shiro stepped back inside. "Everything okay?"

Keith stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I guess. He still doesn't like me."

Shiro reached out to comfort him, half-expecting Keith to smack him away again. He was surprised when Keith didn't. Shiro held onto his shoulder reassuringly, wishing he could break the tension between the two catboys.

"Wait until he's eaten something and try again. He'll come around, I promise."

 

 

As difficult as Lance already was, he was almost unbearable with Keith around.

On the first night, Shiro invited Keith into his bedroom to find some pajamas to wear. When Lance came back from the bathroom and saw Keith rifling through his clothes, he hissed louder than Shiro had ever heard him. Keith's tail fluffed up and he dropped the clothes, baring his teeth at Lance.

Shiro stepped between them. "Lance, stop it. You remember what it's like not having clothes."

"MREOW!"

Keith flinched. "He called you a traitor."

"You understood that?"

Keith pointed at his ears. "I'm a catboy, too."

"Mrrowl."

"Hey, watch your mouth!"

Shiro's eyebrows went up. "What'd he say?"

Before Keith could answer, Lance huffed out a breath and stormed off, turning the television on and blasting the volume.

Shiro rubbed a hand over his face. "Now he's pissed. He knows how much I hate the volume on high."

Keith gave Shiro a funny look. "What are you, old?"

"No," Shiro said defensively, "I just don't want to damage my hearing. He's probably disabling all the closed captioning, too."

"Oookay." Keith picked up the pajamas and left to change in the bathroom, leaving Shiro alone in the bedroom.

On the second night, Shiro came home from work to find Keith standing behind the couch, holding up a pillow to defend himself.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Shiro, watch out! He's gone feral or something!"

Lance dashed into the living room with one of Shiro's shoes held in his teeth, throwing it at Keith with all of his strength. Keith yelped and ducked, watching as the shoe knocked a potted plant onto the ground. Lance turned and saw Shiro in the doorway. His anger melted away and he slunk over to Shiro sweetly, nudging his head against his hand.

"Hey, buddy. Why are you throwing things at Keith?"

"Mrrow!"

Keith laughed in disbelief. "Yes, you are! He just saw you. You're not getting away with the good kitty act this time!"

"Mrrp." Lance wound his body between Shiro's legs, leaning up to lick the palm of his hand.

"Alright, enough. Lance, go pick up all the shoes you threw and put them back in my closet. If I see you doing that again, no pizza for a month."

Lance looked scandalized. He snapped his head towards Keith with a growl, flicking his tail menacingly as he gathered up Shiro's shoes.

On the third night, Lance wouldn't let Keith even look at Shiro. He stayed glued to his side constantly, even leaning against the outside of the bathroom door when Shiro needed to pee. Keith sulked around the apartment, trying his best to avoid the other hybrid.

Lance was curled up on Shiro's lap when it happened. He mewled and shifted around, looking more uncomfortable by the minute. Shiro muted the television and set the remote down beside him, rubbing behind Lance's ears.

"Hey. It's okay." Lance looked up at him sadly and Shiro's heart broke a little. "Is it time again?"

Lance made a soft trilling noise and climbed out of the man's lap, brushing a pile of magazines aside and getting on all fours on the coffee table. Shiro stood up and left to get his bowl.

Keith walked out of the bathroom and froze when he saw Lance. "What are you doing?"

Lance's pants were already around his thighs and his face was pressed against the table, panting softly. Shiro entered the room again and sat on the couch behind Lance, sliding the bowl under him. "He needs to be milked. No offense, but he might not want you to see this."

Keith clenched his fists at his sides, standing his ground. "He doesn't like to be milked like that."

Lance purred with relief when Shiro lifted his tail up. "What do you mean? I just do it the way Hunk taught me."

"Yeah, and it's wrong," Keith snapped. "He likes to be fucked."

Shiro dropped Lance's tail and turned in his seat, looking at Keith. The catboy's eyes were fully dilated, his tail was flailing behind him wildly. He looked more like an animal now than ever before.

"Keith, what are you talking about? This isn't like that."

"Not for you," Keith muttered, stepping around the couch and moving closer to Lance, whose eyelids were drooping heavily. "Get out of here. I need to fuck him."

"What? No! Keith, stop and think for a second." Shiro paled as Keith reached down and swiped a thumb across Lance's lip, letting the catboy suck it into his mouth greedily. "The- the whole point of this is to keep him from mating. He's not ready for that. Don't let your hormones control you."

Keith slipped another two fingers inside Lance's mouth, forcing him to open wider. He unzipped his jeans with his free hand and reached inside to press against his erection. Lance arched his back and purred in a way Shiro had never heard before.

Keith leaned down and nuzzled Lance's face gently. "One last warning. Get out. He's getting fucked whether you like it or not."

Shiro didn't know what to do. He'd never say it out loud, but Keith was terrifying him right now. He had heard stories of catboys turning feral and attacking humans, and Keith looked fully capable of that right now.

"I'm calling Pidge."

"Yeah, you do that," Keith murmured, his eyes locked on Lance. He circled the coffee table and shoved Shiro out of the way, flipping Lance onto his back. Shiro stumbled backwards and looked helplessly at Lance. The catboy looked like he was in a daze, kicking his pants all the way off and spreading his legs for Keith.

Shiro pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed quickly, hearing the line start to ring just as Keith pulled his dick out and slid his whole length inside Lance's hole.

"Mrrohhh..."

Keith shushed him quietly and pushed Lance's shirt up, sucking a soft brown nipple into his mouth as he started rutting. Shiro clamped a hand over his mouth and looked away, but he couldn't hide from the howling and wet squelching that suddenly filled his apartment.

"Hello? Shiro?"

"Pidge, oh my god, help me."

"What's wrong? What the hell is that sound?"

Keith manhandled Lance farther up the table, giving him room to get on his knees and drop his weight down faster against Lance. He was gripping Lance's hair tight, moaning low against his neck.

"Keith is fucking Lance. Like, right now. On my coffee table."

"Oh jeez, Shiro! Stop him! Don't let them mate, he'll never let you near Lance again."

"What exactly am I supposed to do?! He looked like he wanted to kill me!"

Suddenly Lance's howling stopped and his legs shook uncontrollably.

"Oh, kitty, is your milk coming? You love this, huh? Love getting it fucked out of you?"

Lance panted hard and scratched his nails down Keith's back, whining weakly as his dick leaked onto his stomach, more coming out with every thrust of Keith's hips.

"Good kitty, let it all out..."

Shiro heard Pidge make a gagging sound. "Shiro, I'm hanging up! Don't let him finish inside Lance!" The line went dead and Shiro stuffed the phone back into his pocket, covering his eyes with his hands. How was this his life?

He stepped closer to Keith, trying to think of the safest way to pull him off of Lance. The catboy wasn't showing any signs of slowing down, though, fucking Lance's hole faster as he grew closer to finishing. Shiro made a reckless lunge for him and tried pulling Keith back by his collar, but Keith was too quick. He slammed an elbow back against Shiro's chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Shiro fell back on the couch, clamoring for air. Lance made a surprised squeak as Keith forced his legs to bend back as far as they'd go, sending him sprawling out on the table and hanging onto the edge for support.

"Keith, you're hurting him," Shiro said uselessly, holding his chest where Keith had struck him.

"Does this look like hurting to you?" Keith asked, lifting Lance's head up by his hair and looking back at Shiro. Lance's eyes were rolled back in his head, his jaw hung open and drooling. Keith pulled all the way out slowly and slammed back inside, and Lance smiled blissfully. Keith lowered the catboy's head back down to the table carefully. "He's loving this right now. Aren't you, Lance?"

Lance mewled brokenly as Keith's thrusts grew more erratic. He licked the side of Lance's face and pulled his hands off the edge of the table, weaving their fingers together.

"Oh, fuck. 'M gonna mate him."

Keith's thrusts suddenly stopped as he curled his body over Lance's, emptying himself inside of him. Lance purred and stretched his toes out. Keith nuzzled him lovingly as he filled the catboy up, staying inside of him long after he was finished.

Shiro covered his face with both hands and groaned. He had just watched two catboys fuck in his living room. He wanted his money back, but more importantly, he wanted his erection to go away. Shiro stood and shuffled uncomfortably to the linen closet, pulling out a fresh towel and throwing it at Keith.

"Clean him up. I don't want to smell it in here when I wake up in the morning."

Keith ignored him, covering Lance's face with quick kitten licks as he started to come back to reality. Lance's tail swished happily and he pulled Keith down closer against him, looking completely at peace with the world. Shiro threw a pile of blankets and pillows onto the living room floor and retreated to his bedroom for the night, slamming the door.

 

 

Other than a healthy dose of psychological trauma for Shiro, things didn't change much after the mating incident. Lance still ran the apartment and had both Keith and Shiro wrapped around his finger. His new favorite activity was sitting on the coffee table to groom himself, blocking the television whenever a pivotal scene was unfolding. He flourished under the attention and looked happier than ever.

Whenever Lance needed to be milked, however, he now ignored Shiro and went straight to Keith. Shiro tried restricting their activities to the bathtub, but after their first time together echoed off the tile walls, Shiro decided it was easier to just take a walk around the neighborhood until they finished.

Keith became a little overprotective of Lance since mating him, but Shiro figured that came with the territory. If he spent too long petting Lance, Keith would show up without fail, pulling Lance away with a huff of annoyance and licking him clean. He couldn't keep Lance out of Shiro's bed, though. Keith stubbornly refused to join them until Lance woke up at 2AM one night, whining pathetically for his mate. Keith burst in and cradled him back to sleep, and after that, Shiro's space on the bed was reduced to the narrow edge.

One Sunday morning, just before breakfast, Keith padded into the kitchen still half-asleep and got down on the floor to greet Lance. He was stretched out on his stomach at Shiro's feet, flipping through an issue of National Geographic lazily. Shiro looked up from his newspaper and saw Keith pulling the other catboy's pants down unceremoniously and lift his tail up, sniffing him.

"Keith, you're supposed to warn me when it's time for that."

"I'm just cleaning him. Is it making you uncomfortable?"

Shiro held his newspaper in front of his face, taking a gulp of his coffee and burning his mouth. "No. Nevermind."

Keith spread Lance apart and ran his tongue over his hole repeatedly. Lance ignored him, his ears twitching as he rotated the magazine to look at a two-page spread of the Serengeti. When he was thoroughly clean, Keith pulled his pants back up and crawled over him to look at the magazine. Lance brushed Keith's back with his tail and pointed to a group of lion cubs.

"Mrrp."

"Yeah, babies. They're cute."

"Mrrow?"

"No." Lance's ears drooped. He mewled sadly as Keith licked his cheek.

Shiro set his newspaper down. "Is something wrong?"

Keith pushed up off the ground and grabbed a box of fish sticks out of the freezer. "Lance wants kittens."

"Oh." Shiro looked down at Lance, who was pawing at a picture of lion cubs playing in a watering hole. "But he's mated to you. Does he know he can't have them?"

"I just told him that." Keith shook the fish sticks out onto a baking sheet and dropped the box in a recycling bin. "I don't think he actually wants a litter of his own, but he's from a big family. He misses having little ones around."

Lance flopped over onto his back dramatically, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Shiro wished he knew how to help him this time. He gave him a safe home and found him a mate (accidentally), but it still wasn't enough. It weighed on his mind heavily whenever Lance wasn't happy. He had a thought and left the room to call Pidge, trying to formulate a plan.

 

 

The car pulled to a stop in front of a two-story house, painted a bright Easter yellow. Shiro got out of the car and waved Keith and Lance out to join him. It was springtime, and the neatly trimmed lawn was damp under their shoes.

"This is what you wanted to show us?" Keith fiddled with his collar and glanced around as Shiro led them up the front walk.

"Yeah. It's something I've been working on for a while now."

"Who lives here?"

Shiro pulled out his keys and flipped through the ring, sticking a freshly cut key into the lock and opening the front door. He looked back and smiled at Keith. "We do."

Lance's jaw dropped open. He looked into the house, then back at Shiro, as if asking for permission. Shiro stepped aside and Lance bolted past him, clambering loudly up a wooden staircase.

"Are you serious?" Keith asked. He was still standing on the welcome mat, looking like he was waiting for Shiro to tell him it was a joke.

"I'm serious. You know we couldn't all fit in that tiny apartment forever." He opened the front door wider and let Keith step inside cautiously. "I had Pidge help me out, she found a catboy-friendly neighborhood with a school nearby. Plenty of little ones for Lance to play with."

Keith beamed at him. "Shiro!"

"What?" Shiro asked, but he was smiling, too.

"I don't know. It's too good to be true."

They heard a crash upstairs followed by a long, pained yowl. Keith's ears perked straight up and he ran up the stairs to check on his mate. Shiro waited at the bottom of the stairs, looking around the unfurnished space.

"Uh, Shiro?"

"Yeah, is he okay?"

Lance slunk back down the stairs with his ears pinned back against his head, his clothes covered in sawdust.

"Mrrow."

"He's fine," Keith yelled from the second floor. "But your attic has a... an extra door now."

**Author's Note:**

> shiro is forever alone with a house full of cats hahaha what happened bro
> 
> ok the original ending was nasty as hell and probably better but now lance has a big yard to roll around in and neighbors to play with and he's so happy. do you want to take that away from him? DO YOU


End file.
